Bravo fans have waited a while to get their “suburban soap opera” fix in the form ofThe Valley, theVanderpump Rulesspin-off that follows the lives of Los Angelenos in their 30s and 40s who have moved on from their days of youthful indiscretions and hard-partying and are now adjusting to “adulting.“The Valleyseason 2premiered on April 15, and the drama is picking up where it left off. Some of the cast, like Kristen Doute, Jax Taylor, and Brittany Cartwright, are familiar toVanderpumpfans, as they starred on the original version that began airing in 2013.
Newer cast members include Jesse Lally and his estranged wife, Michelle Sanei, Danny and Nia Booko, Janet and Jason Caperna, Jasmine Goode, and Zack Wickham. The entire cast from season 1 returned forThe Valleyseason 2, and in the premiere, we even got a cameo from Tom Schwartz. According to scenes from upcoming episodes, Lala Kent will also make an appearance, as well as Scheana Shay and Brock Davies.
Every Cast Member On The Valley Is Compelling From The Start, Unlike Vanderpump Rules
They Have Real Life Friendships
Relying on familiar faces is a good strategy to keep viewers engaged, butI thinkThe Valley’s cast members are compelling enough on their own, entirely separate fromVanderpump Rules. Of course, it’s fun to see Tom Schwartz stop by Jax’s bar for a drink, but even if we didn’t have any connection to theVPRcrew,The Valleyis solid enough to stand on its own. The friendships are real, as are the real-life issues the cast is facing as they age out of their prime partying years.
Since VPR is going to be rebooted with an entirely new cast when it returns, some of the original cast will likelymake their way toThe Valleypermanently. Kristen and Jax started onVPRbut were let go from Bravo in 2020, only to return as full-time cast members onThe Valleyfour years later. Kristen and Jax were a good landing point forVPRfans to get hooked onThe Valley, but it wouldn’t have happened if the rest of the cast weren’t compelling and relatable characters.
Between Jesse and Michelle’s struggle with their marriage (and eventual separation) to Jason and Janet becoming first-time parents,The Valleycast are in a different phase of their lives than theVPRcast. Even though they’re more mature, they can still bring the drama. See the hallway fight between Kristen and Jesse fromThe Valleyseason 1.It had the frenetic energy of an earlyVPRepisode, but onThe Valley, the stakes are higher since marriages and families are on the line.
Jax & Brittany’s Divorce Wasn’t The Biggest Topic Of Discussion
Jax & Brittany’s Relationship Wasn’t The Only One That Didn’t Survive
At the end ofThe Valleyseason 1, it’s clearJax and Brittany’s long-suffering marriageis over. They are separated, and Brittany has moved out of their family home.Jesse and Michelle’s marriage also ended, which wasn’t a shock. We watched as they battled throughout the season, so hearing they were breaking up wasn’t out of left field.
WhenThe Valleyseason 2 picked up,both couples were heading for divorce. Jesse and Michelle are dating new people, while Jax and Brittany are hitting rock bottom with their separation. But these divorces aren’t even the biggest plot points on the show. We also have Kristen and her beau, Luke Broderick, struggle to conceive. Janet and Kristen are trying to mend their friendship. Danny and Nia are at odds over whether to expand their family. And Zack is still stirring the pot, which we love him for.
Kristen Making Up With Jesse & Her Issues With Janet Will Be A Huge Storyline
Kristen Is Vital On The Valley
Kristen and Jesse had a few rough moments last season, but now they’re starting fresh. They’re a surprising new alliance, but when Jesse took full accountability for the way he acted,he and Kristen turned over a new leaf. Since Kristen has beef with almost everyone, it’s good to see her and Jesse team up. We can’t have any more cast trips where Kristen isn’t included (sorry, Janet), so she needs to have some allies.
Kristen and Janet still have a ways to go to fix their friendship. Unfortunately, Zack being in the mix is preventing them from moving forward, but I know we’ll be seeing lots more of that dynamic play out onThe Valley. Janet, who was pregnant during season 1, will have more energy to hash out her issues with Kristen, and people won’t feel as bad coming for Janet as they did when she was pregnant. The gloves are off, much to the benefit of drama-hungry viewers.
The Valleyairs new episodes on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EDT on Bravo.
